Life as a Marathon

Photo of the Month

March 2001, Calle Ocho 5k, Miami

Quote of the month:

A journey of a thousand miles 

begins with a single step.

- Lao-tzu

Usually I like to use beautiful or inspiring photos as the photo of the month. This one may not be beautiful, but hopefully by the end of this post, it will be inspiring. I am using this photo this month because it is me, crossing the finish of my first run. It wasn't pretty.... but I completed the race. Thank you to my friend, Israel, for taking this photo of me back in 2001! I am just to the left of the orange cone wearing a white t-shirt. After this came other runs and longer runs.... but this was the first!

Although I had done some running when I was younger, it was never more than a few miles at a time. During a difficult and challenging time in my life, I took up long distance running, starting with a few 5k's, then a 7 mile and then a half marathon. The running became a metaphor for my life.... in that I could not always see the finish line, but I could always take one more step. All I needed to focus my attention on, was the step I was taking right here, right now, and trust that the finish line was still out there..... I couldn't see it and certainly did not know what it would look like.... but I knew that it was there.... at about mile 11 of the half marathon... that became really important!! 

I'll share with you what I learned.... see if any of it might apply to challenges you might face in your own life!


Life is like a marathon!

1 - There may come a time that we decide to do, or have to do something we never thought we would do.... or could do.

I never thought I could run 13.1 miles without stopping! That's for sure! I also never thought I would move across the country one time.... let alone 3 times in 5 1/2 years! Now, I've done both!

The lesson here - Don't decide you cannot do something until you at least try!  

2 - You may not be able to see the finish line but you can always take one more step.

As the quote above says, the journey starts with a single step. In a run, it begins with the crack of the gun going off to signal the start of the race. An average person takes 2000 steps/mile - so that would be  at least 6200 steps for a 5k!

With a long distance move, there are a lot of steps - showing the house, selling the house, inspections, repairs, signing papers, packing boxes, saying goodbye to dear friends, driving across country with kids and crying cats, buying a house, signing more papers, more inspections, unpacking boxes, changing the car registration, first day at a new school/job, setting up new doctors..... and on and on.... whew... I am getting tired all over again just thinking about it. Looking at all of these steps together may seem overwhelming. Piled on top of each other, it seems like a mountain. It seem insurmountable. Much as the finish line seems VERY far away in a marathon (or half marathon.) Breaking things down into bite size pieces makes them more manageable.

Once you get started, there may come times when you feel like you may not be able to make it to the end. This happened both in life and in running - but I could always take one more step. At step 5124, all you need to do is take step 5125! Don't think about the distance remaining!

The lesson here - As the quote above says, even something that seems insurmountable cannot be completed without starting! No matter how long and complicated an endeavor may be, simply start with the first step and keep taking whatever step you are on.... which leads to #3. 

3 - Be Present in the step you are taking - only this step.

I have written before about being Present or Mindful. In Taking Stock/Mindfulness, from July 2009, I wrote, being mindful simply means that we are paying attention. I used the example of a tight rope walker and how when walking on a high wire, one's attention can be no where else. The walker's full attention is on the step they are taking at that moment, the placement of the foot and where the weight is placed in the foot. In running, I focused on my foot hitting the pavement and stretching my leg for the next step. In moving - I knew I was getting too far ahead of myself when I started to get anxious about what teachers the kids might have or would there be a Target nearby? I knew it was time to bring my attention back to where I currently was.

The lesson here - I suggest Presence as often as possible in all aspects of life, challenge or not! 

4 - Even though you can't see the finish line - that is ok - Trust that it is out there.

At the beginning of a 13 mile run, the finish line is no where in sight, nor at the beginning of 1063 mile drive or the packing of the first box. It is natural to want to see it... but accept that you cannot.  Trust! Trust! Trust!  Even if things do not go as planned, Trust that you will find a way to fix it or work it out.  There are very few things in life that cannot be fixed.  

The lesson here - It is ok not to know how everything will turn out! Things usually do work out. I often ask.... "What is the alternative? That they won't work out?"  Usually not!

As always, I would love to hear your comments in the section below.

Until next month....

Keep it simple!
Penelope

MFP

Answer to question of the month.....
MFP = Maximum Fluoride Protection

Penelope's Fall Fashion Guide...?

Longer hemlines coming this fall! Stylesight Margaret Howell Fashions

Quote of the Month:

We are the only true experts on our journey to enlightenment. Filter all information through your own heart.- Daily OM

I wonder how many of you did a double take when you saw the title of this post.  Those of you who know me, know that I am known more for my "ugly" shoes than for following any sort of fashion trends!  Actually, I have several pairs of "ugly" shoes!  I threatened to pile all of them up and take a picture for the photo of the month!!!!  A friend suggested that might not be a good idea - so you get the skirt photos! 

One morning, a few days ago, I was trying to catch the headlines on the morning news shows.  I flipped to one station doing a piece on women's shoes and heard her say, "You know how women love shoes!" and another woman said, "They have a special place in my closet."  I know this may be true for some of you!   I quickly changed to a different channel and heard, "Next fall, the hemlines will be quite a bit longer again.  As little as six months ago, we wouldn't have believed we could like them at this length again!"  For a moment I felt as though I had entered the Twilight Zone..... I was Simply looking for the headlines.... not HEMlines...... AND did that woman just hear what she had said?  

"As little as six months ago, we wouldn't have believed we could like them at this length again." 

Let me clarify that I really do not care if you wear the longer hemline, the shorter one.... or no hemline at all!  This blog is definitely not becoming a site for fashion advice!   : )   At the same time, I am not anti-fashion.  Those of you have been following my posts for a while know that I am not anti-anything.  My aim is to be as judgement-less as I can.  What I do intend with this post is for us to examine our beliefs, where they came from and ask ourselves if the beliefs we have inherited are truly ours and true for us.   

Back to the woman reporting on hem lengths....  here is what I really heard her say.....

"These hem lines are reminiscent of the 1970's.  No one has really worn them much since then.  I, now, like the length of these hemlines.... The reason I now like them is because someone told me I should like them!"   

The Simple suggestion I am making this month is to be AWARE that other people may be guiding your choices under the guise of fashion advice!  Is it possible that in an effort to get you back to the stores the fashion industry has come out with a new idea?  This really  goes much further ..... in addition to people telling you what you should wear...... you can find people who will tell you what to eat, what shampoo to buy, what music to listen to, what books to read, what deodorant to buy, who to vote for, where to live, where NOT to live, what type of car to buy, what type of neighborhood to live in, what job to take.....  even what God to believe it.  I know I might have crossed a line with that last one, but I think it is important to include it as it is at the center of a lot of issues facing us today.... wars.... dividing us along political lines.... etc. 

On this blog, I previously wrote that in some ways this is helpful... in Wilderness of Intuition - June 2009.  Since we have many decisions to make every day and many of them are not really all that important in the scheme of things, the media can be helpful in making decisions about these things... such as which shampoo to use (just as an aside, I went to buy shampoo yesterday and was completely overwhelmed with the choices... what just happened to plain "normal" shampoo for "normal" hair??? Not sure how I missed this transition.... but I could have really used someone to tell me which one to buy!)   

So - I am not anti-fashion, anti-media or anti-advertising or anti-anything... I simply want to raise all of OUR awareness that many of the choices we may think we are making, may in fact be made for us, or at least influenced by, someone else..... and very often that someone else may not have our best interest in mind.
  

I always like to start with the Simple little examples.... it is pretty obvious to see that someone "made up" the length that hemlines "should be" in the fall (at least I hope it is!)  Here is another example.  I remember as a kid using Colgate Toothpaste and that it had "MFP Fluoride!"   As a kid, I thought it sounded very impressive and must have some special chemicals or something in there to make it REALLY good!  A little later in school I did a report on advertising and found out what MFP stands for!  Do you know?  I'll leave you hanging for a little while longer.... (further reading on this topic see The Voice, August 2009)

So - what is it I am really getting at this month?  I alluded to it in the quote above.  We are our own best experts!  I want you to learn to Trust yourself.... your own inner voice... your own guidance.  I call this "Intuition" and have written about it quite a bit on this blog.  That is because it is a guiding force in my life.
  

In my experience, there are 4 parts to intuition. 

1 - listen - tune into and become aware of the mental I-pod/CD/tape or voice that constantly plays in your head.  

2 - hear (distinguish) - distinguish the different voices and where they come from.  Identify voice of intuition.

3 - trust - trust what you hear intuition tell you.

4 - follow - take action!

Watch for more on each of these in the coming months!

If you would like to do some additional reading on Intuition in the meantime, try:

Wilderness of Intuition - June 2009 - This posts includes some suggestions to "play" with your intuition and some personal examples of intuition in my own life.

or 

Be Your Own Guru - January 2010  - This post gives a preview on hearing and trusting.  

Finally

Tolle on Intuition  - To read what Eckhart Tolle has to say about Intuition.

That's all for this month's addition of Penelope's Fashion Guide!  If you have read this far, you know it should be called, Intuition is your Guide... on fashion and everything else!

If you have any examples of intuition in your own life, please feel free to share them in the comments section below.  I think it is useful to talk about it and the ways it is working for others as I think we often miss it and don't realize that it was in fact intuition.  Or - you can just let me know what you'll be wearing this fall!

Oh, and we haven't had a Question of the month for a while... if you know what MFP stands for (regarding Colgate Toothpaste) enter it in the comments below too.  Answer next month! 

Keep it Simple!
Penelope

The Universe has a Sense of Humor

Sometimes I think the Universe has a sense of humor!  The post mentioned below, The December post on The Gift of Compassion, has recently been re-posted on another site, so I had recently re-read and thought about the things in the post. Today the Universe gave me an opportunity to practice....  Specifically the parts about remembering that someone who is behaving "badly" feels down or bad in some way and secondly, remembering to put my own feelings aside and treat them with dignity and respect anyway.  I felt compelled to share it with you!

I was walking through a parking lot towards a store in a strip mall. A truck drove up to drop someone off.  A rather large man got out, YELLING at the driver. He slammed the door and stomped off, but then turned around and continue to yell and swing his fists. 

Although coming from different angles, it became obvious that we were headed towards the same door of the same store... AND that we would arrive very close to each other. It was also obvious that I had witnessed his outburst. 

Ok Penelope, I thought to myself, opportunity here.... (Did I mention I was a little bit scared?!) Arriving at the door just before he did, I opened and held the door for him.  He said, "Hello Ma'am, how are you?" 

For a moment my ego questions "Ma'am?" Really? But quickly.... I jumped out of my own story, nodded and replied, "Good, how are you?" As soon as I said it, I realized this may not have been the best question given what had just happened... and he didn't answer. 

BUT, I thought to myself, I treated this man with respect, even when he may not have deserved  it... I held the door and spoke to him. I could not bring myself to make eye contact with him (out of fear.)  I could have done that better - but overall felt it was a successful test of the Universe challenging me to practice what I had written here on this blog.  

Any other stories out there?

Compassionate Societies

Hi everyone!  A quick note to let you know that my December post on The Gift of Compassion was picked up on the Compassionate Societies Website.   You can also reach the site at: http://www.compassionatesocieties.org/


A special thank you to my friend, Clarissa for connecting me with this site.  Look for her posts on the site as well! 


Penelope  

Labyrinths

Labyrinth, Hollywood, FL, 2010

  

After a recent conversation with a friend about labyrinths, I had the idea to introduce them here on the blog.  It is a method of meditation and guess what else.....  It is SIMPLE!!!! 

Generally, the labyrinth is a walking meditation.  I know that some of you have done this.  I will post a link below if you would like to find a labyrinth in your area, but what I am going to introduce here is something even MORE simple, that you can do right here, right now.

First, let me give you a brief introduction to the labyrinth.  Some of this comes from the web site... http://www.labyrinthuk.org/

Labyrinths can be found in art forms all round the world from as long ago as 4000 years. The most famous remaining intact labyrinth is that found on the floor of Chartres Cathedral, France constructed around 1200. Pilgrims used to walk it as a symbolic spiritual journey.   People of all faiths walk the Labyrinth. It is a symbol of our passage through time and experience. Walking the Labyrinth is more about the journey than the destination.

Based on a circle, the universal symbol for unity and wholeness, the Labyrinth is a pattern with a purpose. The Labyrinth has only one path which winds throughout and becomes a mirror to reflect the journey of life; it may touch our sorrows, and release our joys. So walk it with an open mind and an open heart.

The labyrinth can be used as a walking meditation, a way to finding your own spiritual center.  There is no right or wrong way to walk a labyrinth. It is a powerful tool to illuminating one's path through life.  There are as many different ways to walk the Labyrinth as there are individuals. The journey is different for everyone, as is life.  We each bring our uniqueness to the labyrinth.... and often depart with a greater sense of oneness and unity.  

Here are some reasons to meditate with a labyrinth:

• To give thanks
• To solve a problem
• to take time out
• to dream
• to seek guidance
• to resolve a conflict
• to grieve a loss
• to release a fear
• to pray and be with God
• JUST FOR FUN!

Here are my suggestion for participating in this activity:

1 - Approach it with a relaxed and open mind.  Don't try to figure out what will happen.  Don't decide that it won't "work" for you before you try it.

2 - Remember there is only one way in and one way out.  You cannot get lost.  You do not have to think.  Remind yourself to Trust.  

3 - Clear your mind as much as possible and become aware of your breath.

4 - When you get to the center, take as long as you would like and then follow the same path out from the center.

5 - As listed above, there can be any number of intentions.  Two common ones are as a silent meditation or to seek guidance (but there are no rules!  When I took my kids, they ran in!)

6 - I, personally, use the walk in as a time to quiet my mind and possibly ask a question.  The walk out is more a time of listening.

7 - Try to pay attention to what your mind is saying.  It may give you some insights (more on this later.)

Ok - so how can you do this right here, right now?

Simple!  

First - 
You can print one out here....

Chartres Labyrinth

http://zdi1.zd-cms.com/cms/res/files/382/ChartresLabyrinth.pdf

Another version is called the Classical Labyrinth

http://zdi1.zd-cms.com/cms/res/files/382/ClassicalLabyrinth.pdf

  

Use your finger to trace the "maze" instead of walking.  If you find yourself becoming "lost," simply..... sloooow doooown.  We all tend to race around getting things done.  This is a time to be Present.  Remind yourself that in total, it won't take more than a few minutes. 

Second - 
There are several web sites where the labyrinth comes up on the screen and you use either the mouse or your eyes to trace through it. 

This one, you can control the speed, music, etc.....

http://labyrinthsociety.org/flash/labyrinth.htm

   

This one you must follow with your eyes at the speed set by the site.  You can stop and start it.  I like this one, but wouldn't start with it as it might be frustrating for the first time if you feel it is too slow.

http://www.labyrinthonline.com/labs.html

Here is another one you can try too.....

http://www.gracecathedral.org/labyrinth/interactions/index.shtml#

Third - 
If you want to find an actual physical labyrinth you can walk, check this link.  I know that some of the ones I have walked are not included on this list, so you can also Google labyrinth and your location, city, state, etc.

http://labyrinthlocator.com/


Finally, consider what was going through your mind as you "walked" whether for real or virtually? 

Were you impatient? 

Were you wondering it you did it right? 

or wrong? 

Did you question why it was taking so long? 

Did you question if you crossed a line? 

Did you feel lost? 

or found? 

Did you feel like you were wasting time?

or did you feel peaceful?

Did you clear your mind?

or was it going a mile a minute?


If you keep thinking you cannot do it or are not doing it "right," SLOW DOWN.

If you think that you have lost your way - what can that tell you?

If you go slowly enough, you cannot lose your way - there is one way in and one way out. 

That could tell you that you aren't Trusting yourself or the Universe or you could hear yourself criticizing yourself for doing it "wrong."  

 

If you get to the center and want to quit without going back out - what could that tell you?  That you are in too much of a hurry or that your mind is demanding more than you are offering it at the moment.  Why might that be?  Do you want to distract your self from unpleasant thoughts?  Or do you feel that quiet, silent time is not productive?  Why do you feel you need to be so productive?  

Each of these can be clues to things that might be going on for you in your life.  Ask yourself how this applies to your larger life.  Remember there is no right or wrong way to do this.... just enjoy!   

As always, I would love to hear your questions or comments in the comments section below. 

Until next month....

Happy Labyrinthing and....

Keep it Simple!

Penelope

Just for this Moment

Sunset, Key West, August 2003

Quote of the month:

Breathe, 

breathe in the air.

- Pink Floyd

This is a "re-run" from April 2009.... enjoy!


I have an idea.... just for one moment.... STOP, pause your mental I-pod, tape or CD (whatever works for you!) .... don't even worry about what it is saying right now. Take one, full, deep, breath.... do it one more time with your eyes closed.... Be here right now..... with me!

Now, relax your shoulders, especially if you are sitting at a computer we often sit with them tensed... push them down and lengthen your neck. Next, soften your eyes a bit. Are you scrunching your face up somewhere? Maybe your forehead? Relax it a bit. Is your jaw clenched? Open it slightly.

Right now, in this moment, what do you really HAVE to do? You HAVE to breathe and your heart HAS to beat. You body and brain take care of both of those, along with a host of other things you don't have to think about, so don't worry too much about them for this moment.

Is there anything else you HAVE to do right at this exact moment? OK, you are reading... possibly sitting. Your hand may be sitting on the mouse or keyboard... or holding a page of paper, depending on how you reading this post.

You have allowed yourself 2-3 minutes to read this post. Attempt for those 2 or 3 minutes not to rush through this... [I'll make it a short one, I promise!] Try to be present in your chair, reading these words.

Is there REALLY anything else you HAVE to do right NOW?

In a while, you will HAVE to eat some food, drink some water, use the rest room..... and later sleep. Your body will let you know when each of those things is necessary... so don't worry about them for this moment either.

Take notice of what is going on around you......

Observe the area where you are sitting. Do you have pictures of your family or friends? Observe the desk or chair where you are sitting. Do you have a calendar with interesting pictures on it? A window with a view of water or trees? How often do you notice each of these things?

Do you hear anything? Music? TV? People talking? A fan, heater or air conditioner running? A dog barking? Children playing.... or in my case fighting? Even if it is loud or there are other people around, just take notice of them for a moment. Try not to judge any of it.

Do you smell anything? Is something cooking? Does the dog need a bath? ; )

What can you feel? Can you feel the chair beneath you? Are your feet on the floor? Can you feel the keys or mouse under your fingers? Have you ever noticed that before?

In this particular moment, this is really all there is "to-do"......

Later, you may have a phone call to make, work you brought home, clothes to fold, e-mail to go through, bills to pay, dinner to make, a tax return to finish .... or a dozen or 2 other things on the to-do list, but if you have decided to continue reading this far, congratulate yourself on putting them aside and taking 2-3 minutes for yourself .... and guess what else....... doing a mini-meditation!

Notice how you are feeling.... do you feel a little bit more relaxed? Were you able to pause the mental I-pod momentarily? If you feel a bit more relaxed or enjoyed reading these few paragraphs, this post will remain here, so you can come back any time you like..... and we can do it again! Simply look in the navigation box on the top of the right column for the post, "Just for this Moment!" and take another moment for yourself!


Penelope

That's What Change Feels Like

Changing Leaves, MN, September 30, 2010

Quote of the Month:

That's how it's supposed to feel!

That's what change feels like!

-Marilee, Boot Camp

The leaves changed again in Minnesota....  that always seems to make me feel like writing about change!  Truth is, they changed, fell to the ground, froze, were snowed on.... snowed on some more..... and yes.... months later, I still have a hard time writing about change.    This post has not been easy for me to write, but I won't post anything that I do not feel is Truth for me.... and truth be told.... change can be challenging... but I will attempt to put my "simple" spin on it!  


My boot camp instructor recently uttered some of the most profound words I had ever heard, "That's what change feels like" ....a post was born! No, I didn't join the army! Boot camp is a class at my local gym and true to its name, is quite challenging!!!!

I wrote about my own methods of change during Year 1 of this blog. Posts such as December 2008, Change is in the Air and January 2009, True Colors are some examples. Something I did not previously cover is that most of the time, in order to make changes in our lives, we may have some discomfort.

We WANT to lose weight, we WANT a new job, we WANT to get in shape, we WANT to get our finances in order, we WANT to ______________ (fill in the blank with your own "WANT to!") We have lots of "WANT to's" but very often do not follow through on getting what it is we say that we want. Why is that? I believe that one reason is we humans, by nature, tend to avoid discomfort.

We are a society that wants things fast and easy. I remember a time when I did not own a microwave. I also remember when there were no drive throughs at restaurants, banks, the pharmacy and dry cleaners. Maybe even I've come to enjoy these conveniences over the years...... but today things have become SO instant that one does not even have to get in the car to go to the drive through at the bank any more. Most everything can be done right on line.  Even shopping can be done on line, as well as your taxes, and registering for a class. All things we used to have to GO somewhere to do.

In "the old days," if I wanted to have my own copy of a song that I enjoyed and wanted to listen to, I actually used to have to get in the car, drive to a store, buy the record, (ok...showing my age here!) drive home, put it on the record player....  and THEN I could listen to it whenever I wanted to.  With the advent of tapes and CD's, I could at least, listen in the car on the way home. 


 TODAY, one can decide to buy, download, listen to and become tired of a song all in less time than the original drive to the store.... and all from the convenience of one's own computer, cell phone, I-pod, etc....  anywhere one can connect to the Internet.  It does make one stop and question, if we spent a little more time on our purchases, would buy quite as many things?  (But I suppose that is another post for another day.)  The point here, is that we like things to be quick and easy, myself included. This whole blog is about even making Spirituality easy.

The truth is, some changes take a bit more effort.  Most of us do not WANT to be uncomfortable.  I want to suggest that a bit of discomfort may not be the worst thing in the world and that the pay off is great!  


So maybe the key is....
to become comfortable with being uncomfortable.


There are at least two major types of change and the ensuing discomfort.  There is the type of change that comes at you from the outside.  The type that you do not choose.... I call it the "rug pulled out from under you" change.  Your spouse wants a divorce, you suddenly have to move out of your apartment, Hurricane Katrina hits or a life threatening illness.  While I believe on some level this applies to these types of changes, that is not specifically the type of change this post is addressing.  


Then there are those changes that come from the inside.  The changes you choose to make, want to make or maybe have been trying to make for years.....  possibly even the New Year's Resolutions you made on January 1st this year.  This blog never tells you what you "should" or "shouldn't" do.... but if there are some changes you want to make, but have had difficulty making, then keep reading....


So.... how do we become comfortable with being uncomfortable?

My first suggestion is to acknowledge that you are uncomfortable.  Just let yourself BE uncomfortable. 


Next, do not add anything else to that such as "Uncomfortable is 'bad.'" or "Uncomfortable is 'not fun.' "  This is just a thought.  When you attach the thought to the uncomfortable-ness, soon after (so soon you won't even realize it as a separate event) it will create a feeling.  Generally after the feeling will come some sort of behavior to avoid that feeling. (For additional reading on "un-velcroing" the thought and the feeling, see the post titled, I got a Worm for my Birthday.) 


I learned from a friend of mine to understand that being uncomfortable does not cause us any harm.  Also, not to attach any extra thoughts or feelings to it, it is not depression, not even sadness, it is not anxiety....  Just to "sit with it" and allow ourselves to feel it.  Next - ask yourself if you can manage what you feeling right NOW.  Not 30 seconds from now .....  or 5 minutes from NOW, but RIGHT NOW.  Staying in the NOW is an important part.  Unless there is a lion in front of you right now, it is almost always a future event we fear not being able to handle.    


Another reminder - according to Jill Bolte Taylor, in My Stroke of Insight, it only takes 90 seconds for an emotion/feeling to physically move through your body.  It is like a wave, with a beginning, a crest and an end.  Initially, it washes over you, the way a wave does, but it also then recedes, which leads to my next suggestion.


TRUST!  Trust that this is a temporary state and it will not last forever.  We humans tend to have a fear of the unknown.  Things like how will this turn out?  How long will this last?  What will happen 5 minutes from now?  What will it feel like if I don't spend this money?  eat these chips?  Or what will a new job be like?  A little secret.... there is an awful lot each of us does not know.  If we accept that, then it is much easier to be with the discomfort or the fear of the unknown.  It is simply NOT knowing!!!!!!  That's it!  It is OK not to know exactly what will happen, especially in a situation like this.  Trust that the uncomfortable feeling will not last forever and Trust that you can handle it. 


If you have made it through all of these steps... my guess is that the uncomfortable-ness is starting to pass.....?  Is it?  As always, my suggestion is to try this out with something small - something that is not your biggest challenge.  This allows you to develop some spiritual muscle, much like the physical muscle from boot camp!


So..... back to boot camp.... in this particular day in class, we spent extra time on the mat on the floor. We were doing what felt like about the 1000th leg lift and the outside of my right hip and thigh were trembling as I struggled to lift it for number 1001 (OK, maybe I am exaggerating a little tiny bit!) As Marilee walked around the room and lovingly encouraged us with "10 more!" She must have noticed that we were all in a bit of pain.... which is when she announced those profound words....

That's how it's supposed to feel!

That's what change feels like!

She later followed up with, "This is when you are doing the most good and making the most change!"  (Did I mention I recently found out that she is 62!?!?!?  AND given how long it took me to complete this post, she is probably 63 by now!  She does most of the exercises with us!!!  She is incredible!)

I want to clarify here - this is not about overdoing a workout or pushing ourselves too hard that we get hurt.  I want to introduce the concept of "pushing ones edge." This is a concept from Yoga. In order to push ones edge, one must know where their edge is. This involves being present in your body and listening to what your body is telling you - sometimes moment by moment.  This is especially true for physical activities. When one is doing a triangle pose in Yoga, for example, one must know how far to reach and when to stop. When the edge is reached, this concept suggests that one simply and gently push that edge. Push to do just a little bit more. Yes, it may be uncomfortable - it should NOT hurt.

This concept can be applied more broadly to nearly every aspect of our lives. For example, if one "WANTS to" get a new job, one must first make sure their skills are up to date, then have a resume prepared along with letters of recommendation, etc. This involves getting out of one's daily comfort zone and doing something differently than they have in the past, which may involve being somewhat uncomfortable for a while AND THAT IS OK!  It is do-able!  In fact, it may be a very "GOOD" thing and maybe even more "simple" than you thought it might be!

My challenge to each of you this month is to try being comfortable with being "uncomfortable" once in a while in safe ways.  Push your edge just a bit and see what happens.  See if it pays off in the long run. As always, I would love to hear about it in the comments section below.  What works for you?  How do you deal with change?  Did any of the above resonate with you in your own process?

Until next month....
Keep it simple,
Penelope